War Underground

“Military mining is the ultimate method of siege breaking, a technique employed since ancient times. With the dawn of industrial warfare, offensive mining reached its peak, helping to break the WWI trench lines. In Earl J. Hess’s remarkable survey of underground warfare we see it all; an eminently readable yet scholarly account that should be standard reading for all those interested in the topic.”—Peter Doyle, author of Disputed Earth: Geology and Trench Warfare on the Western Front, 1914–18

“Fortification and siege craft are key facets of warfare from antiquity to the present. Hess provides an excellent guide to the subject focusing on key episodes. As the author of two other books on the subject, I can only say how sorry I am that War Underground was not available for me to make reference.”—Jeremy Black, author of Military Strategy: A Global History

“This book tackles the often-overlooked role of mining in the prosecution of military operations and offers a fascinating introduction to the topic that spans the millennia. With such a broad canvas, the author demonstrates how a technique of ancient siege warfare retained its relevance deep into the twentieth century as successive generations applied the latest technological innovations to ensure that mines remained both effective and deadly as the battlefield evolved around them. A timely and welcome addition to the library of any student of military history, especially now that the horrors of near static warfare have returned to the battlegrounds of the eastern Ukraine.”—Gwyn Davies, author of Roman Siege Works

“War Underground is a uniquely comprehensive analysis of military mining, spanning millennia of time and examples from across the globe. Earl Hess provides both technical details and discussion of processes and large insights about the military purposes, political and economic contexts, and human experience of mine warfare. Moving beyond his acclaimed work on the American Civil War to explore patterns and trajectories across wide swathes of time and space, Hess demonstrates that, despite limited success, the quest for options and the potential promised by technological development led commanders to continue the use of mining in sieges and static warfare, and increasingly to enable concealed movement and shelter. Combining deep research with long experience of thematic analysis, Hess presents the most holistic examination of military mining available.”—Samuel J. Watson, author of Peacekeepers and Conquerors: The Army Officer Corps on the American Frontier, 1821–1846